Calls grow for new India women’s T20 captain after World Cup exit

By Arjun Nair / 01.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 1 July 2026 — 3 min read

Following India’s early exit from the T20 World Cup, former India women’s team captain Diana Edulji has voiced her opinion that it is time to consider a change in leadership for the T20 format. Edulji believes that the team should move beyond Harmanpreet Kaur as captain in T20 cricket, advocating for separate teams and captains for different formats of the game.

Edulji, who was part of the Committee of Administrators for the BCCI, suggested that a new approach is needed, focusing on specialist players for T20 cricket. She highlighted the need to identify and train players specifically for the shortest format, mentioning names like Bharti Fulmali and Richa Ghosh as potential T20 specialists. This strategy, according to Edulji, would help address issues like player fitness and overall performance, which she feels are currently impacted by players participating in all formats.

Restructuring for T20 Success

The former captain emphasised the importance of creating dedicated T20 and 50-over teams, each with their own leadership. She argued that playing across all formats can be taxing for players, affecting their fitness and fielding. Edulji’s vision includes potentially having different coaches for One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T20Is to bring in fresh ideas and improved strategies for India Women’s Cricket.

Edulji drew a parallel with a past decision in men’s cricket, referencing the appointment of MS Dhoni as captain for the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, which she described as a bold step that yielded positive results. She stressed that similar decisive actions are now required for the women’s team to improve its standing in international cricket.

Despite her admiration for Harmanpreet as a player, Edulji feels that the pressure of captaincy might be affecting her natural, aggressive style of play. She noted that while Harmanpreet delivered a strong performance against Australia in the recent T20 World Cup, consistency remains a concern. Edulji believes that Harmanpreet has ‘stagnated’ in her role as captain, making a case for her to continue as a player but under new leadership in the T20 format.

The discussion around Harmanpreet’s captaincy comes after India’s consecutive early exits from T20 World Cups under her leadership. In the recent tournament, India failed to progress past the knockout stage after losses to South Africa and Australia. While India secured wins against teams like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands, the defeats to stronger opponents ultimately led to their elimination.

Addressing Team Development and Domestic Cricket

Beyond captaincy, Edulji also pointed out several areas for improvement within Indian women’s cricket. She highlighted the need to develop quality pacers to fill the void left by legendary fast bowler Jhulan Goswami, suggesting rigorous training for them to bowl a minimum of four overs consistently.

Another key recommendation from Edulji is to ensure that top Indian women cricketers participate in domestic tournaments. She believes this would benefit young players by allowing them to play alongside experienced stars, mirroring a practice that has been made mandatory in men’s cricket. Edulji also suggested increasing the boundary sizes in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) to match international standards, preparing players better for global competitions.

Edulji also called for a focus on fundamental aspects of the game, such as fielding, catching, bowling, and batting, through separate specialised camps. She specifically mentioned the need for a dedicated wicketkeepers’ camp, noting the current lack of depth in that position, with Yastika Bhatia often being the only second wicketkeeper available and sometimes unfit. These small yet crucial improvements, she believes, are essential for the team to rebound from recent setbacks.

The selectors, however, have retained Harmanpreet Kaur as captain for the upcoming Asian Games in Japan in September.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com